Meet StartupDelta’s Prince Constantijn:“Combining doing business and doing good is the way forward”

We’re happy to announce Prince Constantijn Van Oranje as keynote speaker at this year’s Impact Startup Fest. Constantijn is special envoy at StartupDelta, the Dutch startup ecosystem in which startups, investors, launching customers, governments and knowledge institutions come together. Be sure to come hear his insights at Impact Startup Fest later this month.

“If you’re an impact startup looking for an investor, if you’re an investor looking for a great investment opportunity, if you are a government or an NGO looking for solutions to deal with really tough questions, you should be at Impact Startup Fest in The Hague on the 25th and 26th of September,” StartupDelta special envoy Prince Constantijn Van Oranje urges.

Prince Constantijn proposes real solutions

He emphasizes the importance of Startup Fest’s overall focus this year: “Smart tech for a better world is absolutely necessary. I think we often underestimate what technology can do for society,” he says.

“Technologies now offer us the opportunity to actually build real solutions, instead of hoping that our politicians will create the context in which these developments can happen. I think that’s the real challenge,” he adds.

“We’re competing in a global run for talent, for funds, technology, for excellence. We need to adapt our ambition levels, our sense of urgency” – Prince Constantijn Van Oranje, special envoy at StartupDelta

Propelling the startup ecosystem

Combining doing business and doing good is the way forward, according to Constantijn. And Startup Fest leads the way. “We’ll bring together the startups, the investors, the corporates, the governments, and the NGOs to work on solutions in the field of food, sustainability, justice, and humanitarian aid. To work together on scalable solutions for the world’s toughest problems.”

Constantijn has been on a mission to propel the Dutch startup ecosystem. “We see the Netherlands as the best possible place for starting, growing and internationalizing business, and as a gateway to the rest of Europe,” he says.

“With our unique connections to all layers of government, corporations and the main innovation hubs, we aim to merge the Dutch startup ecosystem into one single connected hub. We break down barriers and improve access to talent, capital, networks, knowledge, and markets,” he adds.

Innovate to survive

The Netherlands ranks as one of the three most successful startup environments in the world; nonetheless, the Dutch self-image doesn’t reflect this just yet. Constantijn is keen on changing this. As national ambassador of Dutch startups, he is proud – but critical of the country’s mentality, too.

“When you’re operating in a small national market, you have to think big if you want to survive in the long run,” he explains. “We need to adapt our ambition levels, our sense of urgency. We’re competing in a run for talent, for funds, technology, for excellence. And the competition takes place in an explicitly global context. Anyone can join in at any time.”

Join in at Impact Startup Fest

During Startup Fest Europe, the Netherlands will be the epicenter of “global challenges, startup solutions”. The festival will focus entirely on impact startups and their potential to change the world. In the framework of the nationwide event, the City of The Hague presents the second edition of its spin-off Impact Startup Fest on 25 and 26 September.

Continue reading

On this blog you can learn about doing business & doing good in The Hague and beyond. Here you find startup stories that inspire, make you smarter, and connect you to relevant people and organizations in the city, the Netherlands, and the world.